Inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, related arthritic conditions (e.g., osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis), inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), sepsis, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic inflammatory pulmonary diseases are prevalent and problematic ailments. Enhanced or unregulated TNF-α production plays a central role in the inflammatory response and the administration of their antagonists block chronic and acute responses in animal models of inflammatory disease. Many small-molecule inhibitors have demonstrated an ability to treat or prevent inflammatory diseases implicated by TNF-α (for a review, see Lowe, 1998 Exp. Opin. Ther. Patents 8:1309-1332). One such class of molecules is substituted phenethylsulfones as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,020,358; 6,962,940; 7,208,526; and 7,659,302, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0234359, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. For example, the (+) enantiomer of 2-[1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methylsulfonylethyl]-4-acetylaminoisoindoline-1,3-dione, also known as Apremilast, or a pharmaceutically acceptable prodrug, metabolite, polymorph, salt, solvate or clathrate thereof, is a novel oral pluripotent immunomodulator that specifically inhibits PDE4 and inhibits spontaneous production of TNF-α from human rheumatoid synovial cells and ameliorates experimental arthritis. (McCann et al., Arthritis Res. Ther. 2010, 12(3):R107). This compound is in an accelerated program for the treatment of psoriasis.
Without being limited by theory, the (+) enantiomer of 2-[1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methylsulfonylethyl]-4-acetylaminoisoindoline-1,3-dione is believed to be (S)—N-(2-(1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(methylsulfonyl)ethyl)-1,3-dioxoisoindolin-4-yl)acetamide, which has the following structure (Compound A):

Existing methods for synthesizing Compound A are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,940, titled “(+)-2-[1-(3-Ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methylsulfonylethyl]-4-acetylaminoisoindoline-1,3-dione: Methods Of Using And Compositions Thereof,” or U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0168475, each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Generally, racemic 2-[1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methylsulfonylethyl]-4-acetylaminoisoindoline-1,3-dione can be readily prepared using the methods described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,358, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The corresponding (+) enantiomer can be isolated from the racemic compound by techniques known in the art. Examples include, but are not limited to, the formation of chiral salts and the use of chiral or high performance liquid chromatography “HPLC” and the formation and crystallization of chiral salts. See, e.g., Jacques, J., et al., Enantiomers, Racemates and Resolutions (Wiley Interscience, New York, 1981); Wilen, S. H., et al., Tetrahedron 33:2725 (1977); Eliel, E. L., Stereochemistry of Carbon Compounds (McGraw Hill, N Y, 1962); and Wilen, S. H., Tables of Resolving Agents and Optical Resolutions p. 268 (E. L. Eliel, Ed., Univ. of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, Ind., 1972).
In a specific method, the (+) enantiomer of 2-[1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methylsulfonylethyl]-4-acetylaminoisoindoline-1,3-dione is synthesized from 3-acetamidophthalic anhydride and a chiral amino acid salt of (S)-1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methanesulfonylethylamine (Compound B).

Chiral amino acid salts of (S)-1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methanesulfonylethylamine include, but are not limited to salts formed with the L isomers of alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine, ornithine, 4-aminobutyric acid, 2-aminoisobutyric acid, 3-aminopropionic acid, ornithine, norleucine, norvaline, hydroxyproline, sarcosine, citrulline, cysteic acid, t-butylglycine, t-butylalanine, phenylglycine, cyclohexylalanine, and N-acetyl-L-leucine. A specific chiral amino acid salt is (S)-1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methanesulfonylethylamine N-acetyl-L-leucine salt, which is resolved from 1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methanesulfonylethylamine and N-acetyl-L-leucine in methanol.
While these methods are enabling and useful for preparing Compound A, there are possibilities for alterations that may result in a more efficient, cost effective, commercially viable and safe synthesis.
Citation of any reference in Section 2 of this application is not to be construed as an admission that such reference is prior art to the present application.